Flexible guide for rolling-mills



(No Mo r iel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. F. LLOYD.

FLEXIBLE GUIDE FOR ROLLING MILLS.

No. 387,170. Patented July 31, 1888.

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O. F. LLOYD.

, FLEXIBLE GUIDE FOR ROLLING MILLS.

No. 387,170.- Patented July 31, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rien.

CHARLES F. LLOYD, OF JOHNSTOVVN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE JOHNSON STEEL STREET RAIL COMPANY, OF KENTUCKY.

FLEXIBLE GUIDE FOR ROLLING-=MlLLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,170, dated July 31, 1888.

Application filed June 12, 1898. Serial No. 276,814.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

, Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. LLOYD, of J ohnstown, in the county of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Flexible Guide-Plate for Rolling -Mills, which invention is fully set forth and illus trated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a guide-plate for guiding the entrance of the hot metal into the passes of the rolls, which plate shall be adjustable to suit the differences in shape of the respective roll-passes.

The invention will first be described in detail, and then particularly set forth in the claim. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates in side or end view the whole apparatus. Fig. 2 shows a side view ofa pianobar, and Fig. 3 a plan of the same. Fig. 4 shows an end or front elevation of the apparatus, excluding the feed'rollers.

In said figures the several parts are indicated by letters as follows:

The letter A indicates the housings; B, the upper roll, and B the lower roll; 0, lugs attached to the housings by stud-bolts c c, and slotted at E; D, supporting-bolts, provided with clamping-nuts d d,- and F, a clamping bolt or rod, on which the piano-bars G rest. Said bars have an increased wearing thickness at the points h h and are slotted at g, and at their ends opposite the slots 9 are provided with bosses having each an eye, H, in the same. Through said eyes is passed the pivot or supporting rod M, which is held in place by the brackets L, cast on with the caps M, which hold the feed-rollers J in place. Girders K support the feed-rollers J J.

This invention is particularly adapted to a two-high reversing-mill, though it can also be used,with slight modification, on a three-high reversingmill. Its purpose and office are to (Nomodeh) These rollers are a fixture. The depth of shapes and passes in the main rolls vary largely. It would be fatal for the surface-level of the feed-rollers to be above the lowest point that can be reached in the main rolls, as it would interfere with its delivery and twist the piece of metal being rolled if such were the case. As the shapes of the grooves and passes vary, the problem is to connect a fixed or low level on the feed-rollers with varying levels in the grooves and passes of the main rolls. Again, taking passes Nos. 2 or 3, Fig. 4, it will be seen that the piece of metal coming out of these passes, while held up by the grip of the rolls B B during its passage through the same, would fall over on its side on the feedrollers as soon as released from this grip. On

its transfer to the next succeeding pass itwould therefore be necessary to have this piece straightened up again for proper entry into said pass. Heretofore with diflicult shapes this has been effected by the addition of a small auxiliary roller placed between the last or nearest feed-roller (see Fig. 1) and the rolls. Such auxiliary feed rollers have grooves 7 turned in them to correspond with the grooves in the main rolls; but such additions are expensive and complicated, as every set of main rolls must have its corresponding auxiliary feed-rollers.

The flexible guideplate forming the subject of this invention accomplishes its object as follows: The piano-bars G are located side by side with a small intervening washer between each bar. The rear end of each bar is hinged or pivoted on the rod M, the other end being free to move up and down by means of its slot 9 over and on the supporting-bolt F. After said bars have been laid in place, the two side nuts, f, of the bolt F are slightly tightened, o bringing side pressure to bear. This brings the sides of each piano-bar in contact with the intervening washers. The friction is now such as to enable each individual pianobar G to be moved up or down to make it conform to 5 the level of any shape in the various passes, as shown in Fig. 4E. The washers between each bar permit each bar to be moved one by one without affecting the position of any adjacent bar. When so lifted as to conform to the shape of any groove or grooves desired, the two side nuts,f, on what may be termed the clamping-rod F, are tightened to the fullest extent possible. Sufficient contour of the various passes having been thus obtained,the whole of the flexible plate formed by the bars G can be raised or lowered at its front end by the nuts d d on the supporting-bolts D D. Said plate is now in position to do its work, and it will be observed that though the ends P of the pianobars forming said plate conform to the various shapes of the passes the ends H are all on one level, which is slightly below the surface-leveljj of the feed-rollers J. Said feed-rollers now on delivering the metal for entry into the main rolls meet with no obstruction at the points h,and as the metal is fed for ward the extreme points P of the piano-bars lift the end of the metal acted upon to the proper height and position for entry into the rolls. It will also be observed by looking at Fig. 4that the effects of the piano-bars upon the metal are gradual in all directions. Such effects -can best be described as tending to gradually spirally twist the end of the metal acted on into its proper location for free entry into the rolls.

\Vhen it is desired to change a set of rolls by lifting out the housings and all, as is now the practice, the nuts (1 d on the supportingbolts D are loosened. The supporting-bolts D are then thrown out through the slots of the lugs O, and the whole of the flexible plate is turned backward on its hinge at M and laid over on the front feed-roller, J. It is thus entirely out of the way and the housings can be lifted out of place.

I do not limit myself to the minor devices shown. The essence of this invention is the adaptability of the guide -plate to varying shapes. It is manifest that, its flexibility or adjustability once secured, the method or means of its attach mentto the housings and the roll-tables can be made in many difierent ways.

Having thus fully described my said guideplate, as of my invention I claim- A flexible guide-plate for the rolls of rolling mills, composed of bars or plates combined together so as to flex in different planes, whereby irregular shapes of metal are guided to enter irregular-shaped roll-passes, substantially as set forth.

' CHARLES F. LLOYD. Witnesses:

A. MONTGOMERY, 1. E. RoBER'rs. 

